VI Session 16, Rising Flood
The party flee the scene of the burning monastery and find themselves at the door of the Jade Lady once again. All is not fine however as the Jade Lady and much of Wall Village is flooded in dark murky water. Shibowei shouts to her cousin through a window on the second story. Shibowei "How has this happened!? All this trouble started after you vagabonds chased that poor boy out of town. As far as I'm concerned, this is your fault Kim. You and your creepy religion claim power over the elements right? In that case, fix this mess!" The party sandbag the area around the inn and begin salvaging what they can. Most of the first floor is ruined and the basement is completely underwater. Luckily for the party, Kimchiwei and Sailor Eater don't need to breathe air. He casually walks into the water and down the stairs. He salvages what he can before noticing something strange. Set into the wall of the stone basement is a bronze seal, similar to the seals in the City of the Holy Dragon. Unlike those seals, this one depicts a gaping mouth filled with teeth and ringed by eyes. The very sight of it makes Kimchiwei's blood run cold. Some kind of writing is scrawled around the edge of the seal. Kim surfaces and informs the party. Irome knows instinctively what this is, the holy symbol of Jilin, emperor of the Vashar. Shibowei "I don't know anything about Vashar, but several years ago, a fine gentleman paid a great deal of money to install that door. Since then, a few people have come and gone, and paid to use it! As far as I'm concerned it's free income. The last people to use it were a wealthy looking man, a town guard and an unfortunate leper. Poor boy, didn't have the strength to speak even." Irome dives in to get a better look. She can easily read the language of her enemies. "Your flesh is my flesh. Your touch is my touch. This seal is my seal and only my hand may open it. Irome reaches out and upon touching the seal, there is a sudden rush of water. The seal becomes etherial and water rushes down into the cavern below. Hours pass by before the water finishes draining into the cavern below. With the inn finally free of water, most of the party decide to rest. Irome and Kimchiwei find no rest as the cavern seal remains ethereal. Their sispicions are well founded as a water logged hooded figure hobbles out of the cavern. Fushoku Kansen "Goodmorning... I think..." Kansen raises his hands in a sign of surrender revealing that he is missing a hand. Irome let's out a violent shout and attempts to charge the Vashar, but is stopped by Kim who demands an exlpanation. Kansen sniffs the air for a moment. Fushoku Kansen "I smell dragon's fire. Have you encountered our enemy? That makes us allies afterall." Irome will never ally with the Vashar and makes her protest known after Kimchiwei reminds her that Kansen can't truely be killed. He'll just regenerate anyway. The rest of the party come down the stairs along with Shibowei. Fushoku Kansen "Hello again Shibowei. I hope that these travellers have not caused you as much trouble as they have me." He walks past the party, turning back for a moment before leaving. Fushoku Kansen "We are allies even if you refuse to accept that. You carry the doom of the world in your pocket you know. I'll be going now, let's hope I don't have to come back and visit Shibowei. I know how lonely she gets." Shibowei "That poor boy looks like he suffers so much. I'm sure that westerner could help him. I heard a rumor of a man they call him the wounded man with healing hands. Although I'm pretty certain that he took a ferry up river yesterday." The party wonder who this "wounded man with healing hands" could be. In any case, they need to follow the river to its source, presumably the black storm to the North near Hauri and Finellen's homeland. The party gather around Finellen who takes the Sun's Touch Gada and opens a portal as close as she can to the storm. The party step through onto the top of a stone watchtower. Finellen is shocked to see that the rolling hills of her homeland have been replaced by a murky swamp. The floods from the storm have taken their toll. The party are close to the mountains however, and notice that this storm is not rain, but a titanic geyser of jet black rocketing into the sky and raining sooty black water upon the landscape. The party mount up Cheeve and Zhekkt, attempting to ride them through the murky water. The black water is poisonous but doesn't seem to effect the chuuls as much as it does the party. They don't get far before the chuuls reel in pain. Ghostly hands reach up from the water and begin to drag the chuul brothers down. Finellen is possessed by one of the ghosts as the battle turns against the party. They manage to retreat back through a portal and return to the Jade Lady. EXP and Journal